ST. LOUIS — Former First Lady Michelle Obama once said, “Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.”
The quote rings true for St. Louis fashion designer Jasmine Stocking. Until recently, she didn’t feel as if she measured up to others.
“It wasn’t that they were better, it wasn’t that they were more skillful, it wasn’t that they were more knowledgeable. It was just they were confident in what they were doing. And so, they went and they got it,” Stocking told 5 On Your Side.
What helped her in believing she could be a quality designer was a request by the sister of a friend to make a dress. The dress was worn by Jehan A. Giles at the 2023 Grammy Awards in February.
“I believed her when she said told me that she was going to wear my garment on the red carpet. But when I saw it, it just, I was like, I said, ‘Whoa,’”’ she said.
Stocking has long believed in the power of her state of mind. It guides her in her work.
“Not allowing distractions around me to kind of cloud me, cause that’s when I start messing stuff up,” she laughed.
She must keep her head straight because she does all the labor in putting her looks together.
“Sketch, cut, sew designer,” she explained.
Now that she has more confidence, Stocking sees her career taking off.
“I just feel it. I feel it’s just my time. This year is all about not shrinking. And I’m just trying to put myself out there so that I can really fulfill my purpose. Kinda come into myself,” she said.
Stockings new attitude is now guiding her forward in her pursuit of success in the fashion industry.
“I feel like I’m proud of what I do and so I’m happy for people to know that it came from me,” she said.
Stocking is also giving back to the community through fashion. She is hosting an upcoming show that’ll benefit Metamorphosis Transitional Housing for Women. If you would like to learn more here, click here.